Dog Owners Take More Photos of Their Pups Than Their Spouse, Says Study

There’s a stereotype about new parents forcing you to look at photos of their kid. We’ve seen it in movies for years—a mom or dad whips out their wallet with a neverending fold-out picture holder and narrates each photo for an unsuspecting (and decidedly uninterested) bystander. It’s hilarious because it’s so true. But have you ever gotten trapped into looking at pictures of someone’s dog? It can be equally ridiculous to see all the shots people have taken of their pup: one of them sleeping on their back with their legs in the air, then one taken 5 minutes later of their pup curled up in a ball, and yet another with their favorite toy in their mouth.

Lest you think we’re casting any judgment, please know we are as completely guilty of capturing every mundane moment of our dogs’ lives as the next person. And who doesn’t find those photos adorable? Well, it turns out we’ve been so busy taking pictures of our precious pups that we’ve forgotten to snap our significant others.

A study conducted by Rover.com, a site that’s like the Airbnb of dog sitters and walkers, found that when it comes to taking photos, we seriously favor our four-legged companions over our two-legged ones. The results showed that 65 percent of dog owners have taken more photos of their dog than their significant other. And that 29 percent of dog owners post more pictures of their dog on social media than their friends, family, or even themselves. We may share decades of memories, inside jokes, and actual DNA with our family members, but that doesn’t change the fact that Fido will always be cuter.

Rover.com’s study found some other commonalities among dog owners that are maybe a little embarrassing but also comforting to know we aren’t alone in doing: Over half of dog owners would consider ending a relationship if they thought their dog didn’t like their partner. A quarter have made up songs they sing to their dogs—and hey, sometimes they sing along too. And 47 percent of dog owners admit they’d find it harder to be away from their pet for a week than their human partner.

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Look, we certainly won’t shame any of these behaviors. Dogs are like family—and fine, we admit, we’re probably more likely to like that photo from your pup’s birthday party than the one from your anniversary trip. So keep on posting.